The Journal. - The Wall Street Journal & Spotify Studios

Latest Episodes:

The Big Business of Holding Back Eighth-Graders Jun 18, 2026

Show notes

Holding students back in school once came with a negative connotation. But with college athletes now able to earn endorsement deals, they are preparing younger and younger to be recruited and potentially get paid. WSJ's Harriet Ryan reports on the rise of special middle schools where students hold themselves back on purpose so they can grow, develop and mature before high school. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- Inside the Black Market for High School Football Players
- NCAA President on a New Era for College Sports
- How Gamblers Are Rigging College Basketball

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The Economy Is Booming. Why Does It Feel Like a Bust? Jun 17, 2026

Show notes

Stock markets are hitting record highs, the job market is doing fine and productivity is up. Yet many Americans are feeling strapped despite the positive data. WSJ’s Harriet Torry explains the contradictory signals. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- The Energy Shock Is Here

- Germany’s Economy Is Spiraling. Can War Fix It?

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The Rise of the World’s First Trillionaire Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

The initial public offering for SpaceX crowned Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire. WSJ’s Theo Francis takes us inside the staggering finances of the world’s richest man, and explores what the impact of his new status might be. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Is SpaceX Worth the Hype?

- The Great IPO Frenzy of 2026

- Musk vs. Altman

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The Great IPO Frenzy of 2026 Jun 15, 2026

Show notes

2026 is set to be a monster year for tech IPOs. SpaceX hit the market with a blockbuster $1.77 trillion valuation while Anthropic and OpenAI are set to go public later this year. WSJ’s investing columnist Spencer Jakab takes us inside the IPO bonanza and explores the risks potentially hiding behind all the hype. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Is SpaceX Worth the Hype?

- Musk vs. Altman

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The World Cup Story, Part 2: Too Big To Fail Jun 14, 2026

Show notes

As the World Cup begins, we bring you a two-part Sunday special charting how FIFA built the World Cup into a global phenomenon. In Part 2, WSJ sports journalists Jonathan Clegg and Joshua Robinson explore FIFA under its current president Gianni Infantino and how he has maximized revenue for FIFA by exploiting new markets for soccer in the Arab world and the U.S. at the expense of the sport’s longstanding fanbase. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:
- The World Cup Story, Part 1: Soccer and Scandal

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These Movies Finally Got Gen Z Into Theaters Jun 12, 2026

Show notes

Two scrappy horror films are taking Hollywood by surprise. “Backrooms” and “Obsession” have wildly exceeded expectations at the box office. Both spring from internet culture and have brought an unprecedented numbers of Gen Z-ers into theaters. WSJ's Ben Fritz explains what this new wave means for the movie business. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- Why Hollywood Can't Find Good Scripts

- Hollywood Jobs Are Disappearing

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Is SpaceX Worth the Hype? Jun 11, 2026

Show notes

SpaceX is preparing the largest public offering ever on Friday. Elon Musk’s space-satellite-AI-social-media company plans to sell $75 billion worth of shares at a “take-it-or-leave-it” price of $135 a share. WSJ’s Corrie Driebusch takes us inside the SpaceX books and details what investors are thinking about the massive IPO. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- Musk vs. Altman

- Elon Musk's $1.25 Trillion Megamerger

- The Woman Behind SpaceX

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How Beef Got So Expensive Jun 10, 2026

Show notes

In the era of the $100 steak, WSJ reporter Patrick Thomas traveled from a steakhouse in Omaha to a manure-splattered cattle auction in the Nebraska sandhills. What he found was a story about drought, debt and a stunning reversal of fortune that has left America's ranchers holding more power than they've had in decades. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- The Beef Between Cattle Ranchers and Meatpackers

- How Scotts Miracle-Gro's Weed Business Went Up in Smoke

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Bill Gates’s Carefully Crafted Image Is Cracking Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

For years, Bill Gates was best known for his charitable work. The Gates Foundation spends billions on humanitarian efforts around the world. At one point, Gates was ranked as the world’s most admired man. But as details surface about his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, that carefully crafted image is eroding. WSJ’s Emily Glazer reveals the lengths that Gates’s team has taken in order to burnish his reputation, and how it’s slowly cracking. Jessica Mendoza hosts.

Further Listening:

- How Jeffrey Epstein Made Millions From His Connections

- The Growing Fallout From the Epstein Files

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Why Sweden Embraced Capitalism Jun 08, 2026

Show notes

Sweden, once considered by many as the standard bearer of high-tax and high-spend government, has embraced capitalism. WSJ’s Tom Fairless reports on how the Nordic country privatized large swaths of its healthcare and school systems, promoted business and shrank the state. Ryan Knutson hosts.

Further Listening:

- Germany’s Economy Is Spiraling. Can War Fix It?

- China's Cheap Goods Are Europe's Problem Now

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